


Under the Doll's Gaze

by nickel158 (orphan_account)



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: F/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance In Later Chapters, Slight horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-05-28 11:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6327550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/nickel158
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On her 16th birthday, a young woman by the name of Miku receives a strange gift from her dear Father: A life-sized doll. While incrediably elegant and crafted with great skill and love, there is something eerie to this gift; something almost ghastly...</p><p>More chapters to come!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Golden Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Bon-Bon here!
> 
> Another MiKai fanfiction! This one is going to be a series, and hopefully a long one if it gains enough popularity! (I hope people still read Vocaloid fanfictions and it's not just me, haha. XD) I do hope you enjoyed the first chapter, even though it was a bit short, and will stick around for the next! I will try to update as soon as possible, for I have some good ideas brewing! Suggestions and critique are always welcome! (Do be gentle, though; I'm still new to this.)
> 
> Goodbye for now!

That night, Miku had dreamed of guardian spirits.

Brilliant, shining beings that dwelled in the plush clouds, or deep below the white-capped waves of the ocean to the west, or within the mossy forests that surrounded the little town on all sides. They took forms of all shapes and sizes, from rabbits, to hawks, to deer, to whales. Her father had told her stories of these beings, and how you could always tell when they were nearby, not because they were extraordinary in appearance, but because they brought comfort whenever they were near. They were not supernatural; no, they were perfectly natural. They were all around us at all times, keeping us safe.

**THUNK**

_‘And scaring the life out of us..’_

Miku woke to a loud sound like a chair falling over in her otherwise silent room, and was greeted by the cold air as she threw the sheets off of herself in surprise, eyes darting around as they adjusted to the darkness, desperately searching for the source of the noise. When the details of her room finally began to emerge from the darkness, she saw it: a chair in the corner had fallen over, along with the life-sized doll sitting upon it. She sighed, and slowly turned herself until her legs slipped out from under the sheets and dangled off the side of the bed. As she stood, her mint-green nightgown slid back down a bit to cover her down to her ankles, after getting hitched up to her thighs, and she took small, unsteady steps towards the fallen chair as her body slowly accustomed to standing up again after being in such a deep sleep. As she approached the collapsed chair, her foot hit something, and she looked down, only to see the very thing she had been trying to block out for the past few days.

The doll was made of smooth porcelain, and was beginning to develop cracks in various places as it always managed to find a way to fall over no matter where she placed it. She had attempted to cover the cracks with paint, colored similar to the porcelain, to to no avail; it instead gave the grotesque impression of skin peeling off of the doll’s face. The doll’s hair was a dark blue, almost like the night sky, and freakishly-realistic. She would have asked her father where he had found material to make the hair, if she wasn’t afraid of the answer.

The doll was dressed in a strange outfit, even for one of her father’s creations: it wore a large, blue coat with gold trimming, a ruffled, white collar and sleeves, and boots that went up to it’s thighs, laced up all the way to the top. A faux rose was attached to the front of its coat, giving the appearance of its heart blooming out of the front of its chest. As weird as the outfit was, it was actually quite impressive, and had obviously been made with a lot of care and effort.

Miku loved her father dearly; the elderly clockmaker always worked hard to create elaborate gifts for her, but sometimes it seemed like he never considered how she would react to such gifts. She had tried to smile her hardest when receiving this gift, but in reality, she had felt everything but joy; the doll was impressive, yes, and made with lots of love, but it was just so...unnerving. It stared forward forever with wide, mismatched eyes and a blank expression, and Miku could feel it’s gaze piercing into her no matter which way it was facing. She would often turn it around before bed, only to wake in the middle of the night, it’s head turned so that it’s one yellow eye was looking right at her, almost glowing in the darkness of her room.

 _‘If Father wanted me to feel as though I was being watched over, well, he succeeded a bit TOO well.’_ , she thought, groaning as she slowly lifted the doll back up, holding it in what could only be described as a very awkward hug from behind, its legs dragging limply as she walked, almost tripping her on a few occasions. Despite being almost hollow on the inside, save a few gears and other metal bits to allow the limbs and head to move, the doll weighed just as much, if not more, than her, and was nearly impossible to carry. However, by some manner of sorcery, she managed to drag the doll across the room, grip the rickety chair with one hand while still holding the doll with the other, and set them both back into their proper places. The doll, once again, faced the wall, empty eyes gazing at the aged wood as if it held many deep, dark secrets that its glass eyes and empty mind were desperately trying to unravel.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Miku sighed, and, turning away from the doll, found herself parched. Crossing the room once more, she delicately picked up her mug from off the bedside table, and exited the room as quietly as she could, leaving the door parted ever so slightly, so that if her father woke to find her up so late, she could quickly slip back to her room before being discovered, as the first one up had to make breakfast, no matter what time it was.

And in the peaceful darkness of the small cottage, all was silent.

Even the doll, as it sat quietly in its corner, its head turning ever so slightly and slowly to peer over its shoulder at the bed behind it, where a mere few minutes before, a young, teal-haired woman had been resting, under the protection of its blank, eternal stare.


	2. Early-Morning Fright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bon-Bon here! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! I've been busy with school, so I've been unable to write much, but I'm going to try to update more often, I promise! (I do hope I still have a few readers after such a long absence... DX)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, thank you so so much for reading!

Grey sunlight filtered in through the frosted window, landing upon the sleeping figure nearly buried under the sheets upon her bed, only her head and long, messy hair to be seen as she dreamed peacefully of lands far away from this small, isolated village. It was a cold day, as winter seemed determined to stay around as long as possible, but it had lost enough strength to allow the sun to show through faintly, giving hope to the little people below who had become lost in the freezing, white labyrinth of winter. However, even in this small town that was half-buried in snow, there was warmth; the warmth of the delicate, shivering bodies within the wooden cottages that held strong against the harsh winds. Such strange creatures they were, with their plush forms that seemed to radiate heat, as if a miniature sun was trapped within them, wanting to break free. These things and more intrigued the doll so much, that he just had to get a closer look.

It had taken him quite a while, as he was not used to this new body, but he had managed to drag his stiff form from the chair and over to her bed, and now sat on his knees, looking down at her as she slept. For days he had watched over her in this position, but never from this close-up. She was absolutely dazzling, even in sleep, and he wanted to know more about how she worked. She had no strings, nor gears, nor a master to control her, and she moved so smoothly and quietly.

 _‘Magic….she must be magic.’_ , he thought, reaching one of his cold, metal-plated hands up to gently touch one of her cheeks, though be drew it back almost immediately with a quiet hiss, as if the warmth of her skin had burned him. She shifted quietly, and rolled over, letting out a muffled groan, and, met with the possibility of being discovered, the doll did the first thing that came to mind.

It went limp, and fell to the ground with a loud ‘ **thunk** ’, knocking against the bed frame on the way down and causing it to shake.

Miku awoke with a start, and looked around frantically, prepared to see a burglar or some kind of wild animal that had gotten in sometime during the night, however, she saw nothing. Confused, she glanced around, and froze when her eyes landed upon the empty chair in the far corner of the room. The air around her seemed to grow cold, and she turned her head, almost painstakingly slowly, to glance at the floor beside her bed. There she saw it: the doll, it’s body sprawled out on the floor, and it’s eyes gazing up at her, empty and glossy like those of a corpse.

And for a moment, their eyes stayed locked.

The doll gazed upward, seeing some of her long hair slipping off of her shoulders and dangling over him like thin, teal curtains, though he remained still, giving her no sign of movement so as to not frighten her, and instead, observed her face, which no longer glowed in the early-morning light, but instead was tinged with shadows as she faced away from the window.

 _‘Her eyes are blue….a light blue, like….like the oceans!’_ , he thought, feeling a small spark go through him as he remembered the brilliant, blue seas.  
Occasionally his empty head would be flooded with strange images, and memories from long ago, though he knew not where they came from. The chirping of the birds, the flowers in spring, the warmth of summer, the crashing of the ocean waves...he remembered them all, though he had only opened his eyes for the first time a few days ago. 

_‘The oceans….the salty smell, the seagulls squawking, the-.....wet?’_

Drawn from his thoughts, he felt a small droplet hit his cheek, and roll across his porcelain skin. This was when he noticed that she was moving, ever so slightly. Shivering, shivering like a poor animal thrust out into the cold. And she was crying.

He knew he had no heart, for his chest was hollow, but at this sight, he felt an unfamiliar sensation: pain. What had happened? Was she hurt? Was she frightened?

_‘Did I do that..?’_

Unable to keep a straight expression, his eyes grew wide, and he shifted, lifting his hollow up a bit and parting his cold lips in order to speak to her, finally. He could see her eyes grow wide as well, and her mouth opened slightly, as if she were about to speak as well. Wanting to beat her to the question he thought she was going to ask, he quickly spoke in the most confident voice he could muster.

“Are you alri-”

And so, the first words he had ever spoken to her were interrupted by a strong punch to the side of his face, and he felt another small crack form in his cheek as he fell once more, landing on his side. Still in shock, he heard a loud scream, and saw a flurry of sheets and fabric above him as she jumped from her bed, and ran from the room, leaving him a motionless heap on the floor. As he heard her footsteps grow muffled, and the faint voice of the elderly clockmaker join her frantic shrieking and wailing, he knew what had happened. Slowly, his face grew stony once again, and the light faded from his eyes, as resolved himself to remain upon the floor and allow his guilt to overwhelm him, suddenly feeling like a small, callow child.

_‘I-...I scared her…’_


	3. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bon-Bon here with another chapter for you all! (Things are starting to get angsty up in here!) I'm going to try to update as much as possible after such a long absence, so expect more content soon!  
> As always, I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Thank you so much for reading! ^-^

_‘...What?’_

Miku stood at the foot of her father’s bed, watching as the old man propped himself up against his pillows, and began to laugh. She had raced into his room, shrieking and screaming enough to wake the entire village, scaring him awake and possibly giving him the fright of his life, only to end up weeping in fear at the end of his bed while he tried to console her.

" _T-The doll!! It moved, Father, it moved! And it SPOKE!_ ”, she had cried out, glancing back at the door out of the corner of her eye fearfully, making sure that the aforementioned doll had not followed her out of her room, and was now creeping up on her like a ghoulish zombie.

“ _Did it, now? Did you greet him?_ ” Her father had replied, tugging at his chin a bit as he looked at her, seeming almost confused by her statement.

His statement was followed by silence, as she stared at her father with a dumbfounded expression, having heard his words but not processed them fully. He had heard her, hadn’t he?

“Did I-....did I _greet_ it..?”, she repeated slowly, as if speaking a foreign language. Her father merely chuckled, and sat up, letting out a loud, bellowing yawn before he spoke.

“Of course! He’s your gift, and a new member of our little family. You didn’t greet him?”

Miku stood frozen, caught between the idea that her father had gone completely mad, and the realization that he knew this would happen. What frightened her more is that he seemed genuinely concerned for the doll, not for her, and, knowing that he would not react well to any more yelling, she took a few moments to gather her thoughts, and come up with a good question to start off with.

“...How?”, she muttered, still staring him down with a blank expression.

“How what?”

“How did you make it _come alive_ , Father?!” Miku couldn’t help but raise her voice a bit, feeling exasperated with the fact that her father was brushing this off as being completely normal.

“Oh, my dear, I did nothing!”, he replied, tilting his head and smiling humbly. “Though, it is quite flattering for you to think that I’m capable of such magic.”

“What do you mean, ‘you did nothing’?! You must have done something! _Objects aren’t supposed to talk, Father!_ ” Miku was beyond irritated, and it seemed like he was trying to dodge the question, when he put his hands together, and sighed, the room seemingly growing colder at the exhalation, causing Miku to shiver and shift nervously.

“When I was creating your gift, I asked for the help of a guardian spirit, and that they would watch over my daughter through the glass eyes of the doll. I suppose that the spirit chose the doll as its vessel, and speaks to you through it!” He looked up towards the ceiling, as if gazing at the sky, and folded his hands, smiling softly. “How blessed you are, my child! For decades I have longed to speak with a spirit, and here is my own daughter, able to communicate with them effortlessly!”

“Father, I am not a Medium! I'm being stalked by _your_ creation! And I want it to stop!”

“Do not disrespect the spirits, my child! They will not forgive your for your harsh words as easily as I will! They may leave us forever, without their protection!”, her father cried, glancing around a bit worriedly as he did so, fearing that they were being watched.

“ _ **And I would revel in their absence!**_ ”, Miku yelled out, before turning on her heel and marching out of the room, slamming the wooden door behind her. Her fear and shock were now replaced by anger and betrayal as she stormed into her room and greeted the doll, who had not moved from its spot on the floor, with a kick to the side.

“Get _up!_ ”, she shrieked at it, watching as it lay motionless on the floor, refusing to obey her commands. “ _Move, you disgusting boggart!_ ”

Feeling the anger bubbling up inside of her, she continued to kick and shriek at it, until her father ran to her, having finally gotten out of bed, and held her back. Tears of frustration, she gave one last final cry of “ _Do **something!!**_ ”, before she finally stopped struggling, and let out a pathetic sob. Risking a glance back at her father, she saw that he was looking not at her, but the doll; shards of porcelain lay on the floor next to it, and she realized how badly she must have damaged it. She hurried to apologize, but her father stopped her with an upraised hand.

“It is your gift, and you may…..you may do with it as you wish, I suppose.”, he said, putting on a weak smile to reassure her. “I’m sorry it wasn’t the right gift for you. I’ll do better next year, I promise you, my dear.”

And with those words, he left her standing in her doorway while he went to fix breakfast for the both of them, the house silent and tense except for the sound of shuffling footsteps. And, despite all that had happened, her father was not in the least bit surprised when he peered into her room late that night, and saw her repairing the doll to the bed of her ability, putting shard after shard back into place with shaky hands and thin fingers.

And for a few nights after that, when the doll was fixed and sat in it’s chair once more, Miku noticed that it did not seem to move at night anymore. It stayed in place and faced the wall, and its eyes seemed more empty than usual.

And everything was quiet again.


	4. Visions In The Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Bon-Bon here with a new chapter for you all!  
> Wow, this one is the longest chapter I've written to date...I'm kinda proud, to be honest!  
> I'm still working on my writing skills, so do feel free to leave critique if you find an issue! (Gently, though, if you don't mind.)  
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! (WE'RE FINALLY PROGRESSING HOLY SHIT-)  
> Also, subtle/not-so-subtle Amnesia: The Dark Descent reference included in this one.

_It was impossible to take in her surroundings at this speed; Miku no longer knew where she was, or how far she was from the village, but she kept running, knowing that a single glance back could paralyze her with fear. Besides, she knew she was still being followed; over the sound of her panting and the crunching leaves beneath her feet, she could hear the breathing._

_The deep, labored breathing that rattled out of the beast’s cavernous mouth._

_It whipped around her like the wind, trying to grab onto her and pull her back into the maw of the great beast trailing her, and yet she continued sprinting with all her might. It was no longer her own strength that kept her going, but fear alone, as she continued on, into the woods._

~~~~~~~~~~

Miku woke with a start to the sound of a wolf howling in the distance, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The nightmares had been relentless ever since the incident with the doll, and she was beyond exhausted. It seemed that whenever she closed her eyes, she could see the beast coming to swallow her up. She sighed, and pulled her pillow down over her head, attempting to block out the sound of howling from the world outside as she came to the conclusion that the wolf was actually a spirit, determined on keeping her up with it’s ghastly wailing.

And yet, now that she thought about it, it wasn’t the sound of howling, but the sound of crying. Nor was in the distance, but right outside her home; right outside her very window.

No, not outside. It was in the room with her, close by.

Chills ran up and down her spine, but she remained frozen. The sobbing was nearby, only a few feet away. But it was muffled, creating the illusion that she was hearing it through the wall, as if someone had their head buried in their hands. It was then that she noticed the sensation of something weighing down the bed near her feet, and realized that someone was sitting at the foot of her bed, letting out a ghastly wailing that both filled her with terror and broke her heart. Thinking that, at this point, the creature would have attacked her if it had the intention, she viewed it safe to get a peek at whatever was making the heart-wrenching noises. Lifting her pillow up slowly, she gave herself just enough room to look down towards the end of the bed, and observe whatever it was that was sitting just by her feet.

And there, floating just above her ankles, was a large ball of silvery-blue light. At first, it appeared to be nothing but an illusion; a simple trick being played on her eyes by the moonlight shining in through her window. However, as she stared, the light seemed to take the shape of a human being: first a torso, then arms, then legs, and finally a head, covered in messy, matted hair. The figure was curled up in a fetal position, and sat next to the small bump in the covers that was her feet, weeping softly, but shrilly, loudly enough so that its cries could probably be heard by the doll, which had remained deathly still and silent for days.

Trembling, Miku gathered the courage to face the apparition, and slowly rose from where she lay upon her bed, the sheets sliding off of her upper torso and gathering near her waist. The spirit did not show any signs of noticing her movement, and merely continued with its pathetic display, causing Miku a great deal of confusion. _Could it not see her?_

Gripped by a mysterious urge to caress and comfort the figure before her, she moved forward onto her knees, the covers now beneath her as she inched closer and closer, the glow becoming even brighter as she approached. Unbeknownst to her, as her hand was raised to brush the shoulder of the figure, the doll was beginning to tremble and shake, like a corpse awaking from its death-like slumber. Miku’s heart was beating against the confines of her chest, and she could see her hurried breaths forming icy, white clouds before her, as the temperature in the room seemed to be dropping rapidly. Time itself seemed to grow slower and slower, coming to an almost stand-still, before her fingertips brushed against - or rather, phased through - the shoulder of the apparition.

Quite a few things happened at once: The doll sat up in the chair, it's limbs going rigid and it's eyes snapping open as its porcelain lips parted and let out a ghastly wail; far off in the distance, an area of the forest seemed to shake as a deep rumbling came up from within the earth; and Miku felt a deep cold fill her being as she was blinded by a flash of blue light, and pulled into the figure by an unknown force.

She regained her sight suddenly, only to find visions of trees flashing past her, and a great chill holding her in place, as she watching through the eyes of a figure who was running for their life in the woods. The same woods that had appeared in her nightmares; an endless maze in which she found herself pursued by an enormous beast.

Soon enough, she found that the figure, whose body she had seemingly possessed, was also on the run from a beast, but not the same as the one from her nightmares. No, this beast had millions of trampling feet, jagged teeth of steel, and breath of pure flame. And yet the most terrifying part of this creature was its voice: it cried out to the figure in a millions different pitches and tones, sounding as though the entire village was screaming at once, crying out for the death of the sinner before them.

The screaming echoed in her ears, and Miku tried with all her might to lift her hands over her ears, wanting to block out their curses and screeches. Surprisingly, the sounds grew muffled, and she was able to hear something else that was echoing faintly in her ears: a familiar voice was muttering fearfully, and their voice faded in and out with the screams and the scenery that continued to flash by. Miku listened closely, attempting to make out the words over the roaring of the thousand-footed beast that was following closely behind.

_‘Don't let them catch you... Mustn't be caught…’_

The voice was of a male, not much older than her, and it sounded as though they were out of breath. Putting two together, Miku gathered that she was hearing the thoughts of the figure who was, at the moment, fleeing a beast.

_‘They’re hunting me... they’re going to kill me...I must hurry..’_

Hunting? _Why are you being hunted_ , Miku wanted to ask. _What did you do?_

_‘My name is Kaito...I’ve lived amongst you people all my life...You know me!! ...Nothing... I’ve done nothing wrong…!!’_

_Kaito...no...there’s no one named Kaito in the village…_

_‘What have I done to deserve this!? These people are crazy!!’_

**_People?_** Those are….people?! The truth hit Miku like a bullet: it was not a beast chasing this poor boy, but a mob. And they were thirsty for his blood.

_‘Don't stop. Don't stumble. I must escape! Keep running!’_

_Escape….escape! You must escape! Get out of there, quickly!_ Miku felt herself being filled with fear, the emotions of the boy being transferred to her, though she was powerless to help him, and could merely watch his plight. She shouted to him, despite having no voice with which to shout, trying to encourage him.

And yet, it was fruitless. A slight misstep, and the boy was tumbling to the ground, suddenly falling, falling deep into the deep earth, which was as black as a starless, night sky. And as the screaming of the crowd faded away, Miku heard one last thought from the boy, and it seemed to echo throughout her entire room.

_‘My name is... Is... I am Kaito.’_

As this strange world was swallowed up by the black void of the underground, Miku felt herself returning to her own body, though she retained the feelings of fear and an impending doom from the chase. She found her whole form to be tense with fright when she finally regained feeling, a single word escaping her lips as she breathed in and out, having been unaware that she had not been breathing until now.

“Kaito…”

And across the room, a deep voice answered:

“Is that my name?”


	5. Quick Update!

Hello all! Bon-Bon here!

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've just gotten back from a long vacation, and now that I'm home, I finally have the time to start writing again! Expect a new chapter within the next week! However, I did wish to share some information with you all: I've recently managed to scrape together the resources to acquire Vocaloid 4! Not only this, but I also received my first voicebank: KAITO V3! Not only has it been a dream come true to work with Kaito (after about four years of wishing), but I've been having quite a few little song ideas bouncing around in my head for a while now, including one involving this story! So keep an eye out for that as well, as it is currently a possibility!  
Anyway, I'm done rambling for now! Thank you so much for being patient with me! ^-^

Goodbye for now!


	6. The Queen and Her Companion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaa, hello again! Bon-Bon here!
> 
> I'm sorry this update took so long! I've been quite busy lately, and I haven't had much time to write, but I've finally managed to clear up some free time to start writing again! Forgive me if I'm a bit rusty; I hope you enjoy the chapter regardless, and I promise to update again soon!   
> As always, thank you for reading!

It was one crazy situation after another. Miku had just emerged from what she assumed was some strange out-of-body experience, or perhaps just a very strange dream, and was now faced with a new oddity: The doll was talking again. 

Now, the Miku from a few days before would have screamed and fled at the sight, assuming that some demon was haunting her; however, Miku had become fed up with this ghoul, and all she wanted at this moment in time was for some peace. So she huffed and, putting on her most confident expression, sat up straight to face the doll who sat directly across the room from her.

“I’m not scared of you.”, she spoke with a voice that wavered slightly, betraying the feelings of apprehension that she attempted to hide. Instead of intimidation, however, she found that the doll’s eyes portrayed a feeling of relief, and his porcelain lips grew into an innocent smile.

“You’re not?”, he asked joyfully, visually relaxing and surprising her with his reaction. She almost took a moment to wonder how he could possibly relax if his body was stiff porcelain, but she shook the thought from her head and decided that she might as well get some answers while he was responsive.

“N-..No, I’m not. I’m just confused.”, she replied, looking him over. “What...are you? And what do you want with me?”

The doll paused, and lifted one of his metal-plated hands to tap his chin as he contemplated his answer. His legs were crossed, and he was leaning back in the chair, his posture the complete opposite of hers, as she was curled up on her bed, hunched over with her knees pulled against her chest. She was looking him over intently, trying to decipher how it was possible for him to move so smoothly, when he cleared his throat, and began to speak.

“What am I? I’m…..a doll, I think.” He said, looking down at himself and kicking his feet lightly, as if reassuring himself that it was, indeed, his body. “As for what I want with you….”

He seemed to drift off, and Miku, who had been staring at his feet and his thigh-high, laced up boots, now glanced up at his face, only to see him smiling at her intently, pure joy reflecting in his multi-colored eyes.

“From now on, I will be your companion!”, he declared proudly, jumping from the chair with excitement and landing so hard that the room seemed to shake. Miku, caught off guard by this sudden action, let out a small yelp, and fell back on her bed, looking up at him with a look of great confusion.

“M-My what?”, she said with a squeak, propping herself up on her arms.

“Your companion!”, he repeated with pride, rushing over to her side, his heavy boots causing his quick footfalls to shake the room as she seemed to be gushing ecstatically over the confession, before he stopped. She had shrunk back against the headboard at his sudden movement, and at the sight, his shoulders slumped, and his joy seemed to quickly fade, replaced by what seemed like disappointment.

“You’re not comfortable around me, huh?”, he muttered, gazing down at the floor. “I guess I did react pretty excitedly...forgive me for that, uhm…”

He glanced up at her suddenly, looking surprisingly embarrassed, and muttered very softly, “W-...What’s your name, again..?”

Though she barely heard him, she understood him well enough, and sighed as she sat up, and moved over to the end of the bed, next to where he stood. She looked up at him, as his lanky form towered above her, and held out her small, pale hand.

“Miku”, she said plainly, with an air of regained confidence. “Miku Hatsune.”

Taken aback, he looked down at her hand, his shocked expression quickly blossoming into a smile as he took her hand and shook it gently. Miku almost grimaced, but suddenly found herself relaxing; she had been bracing for the sensation of cold, hard metal against her palm, and yet she was surprised to find that it had a strange warmth to it.

It was as if blood flowed beneath the gold casing, faster and faster until it reached the ruby-red rose upon the doll’s chest that gave the impression of his heart blooming from within his breast. Miku glanced up, only to see the doll giving her a warm smile, and she felt a calm ease over her being for the moment. 

“What about you?”, she questioned, having decided that the doll was no threat, and meant well; as such, she felt obliged to treat it with at least some hospitality, to make up for being so rude previously. “What’s your name?”

The doll’s smile faded, and he paused, glancing up at the ceiling as he pondered her question. He was still holding her hand, and began absentmindedly squeezing it as he introspected. This caused Miku to tense, but after determining that it caused her no discomfort, she simply disregarded it, and waited patiently for him to answer. And, after what felt like many minutes, he finally spoke:

“I...I believe you said it was Kaito.”, he muttered, glancing down at her with an expression that seemed to portray a desire for her approval. “That’s what you called me, isn’t it?”

“Well…”, she muttered, thinking back to the strange dream she had only recently awoken from, which had already almost entirely slipped from her memory, “...I suppose so. Is that the name you desire?”

The doll seemed to jump again at her words, and squeezed her hand tightly as he leaned forward, an expression of pure devotion upon his face along with the innocent smile that had adorned it earlier.

“Yes!”, he said without a moment’s hesitation, “If that is the name you have bestowed upon me, then I accept it with great pride, my lady Miku!”

Donning a confused expression, and having pulled her hands from his grasp at the strong squeeze, Miku stared up at him quizzically, as if not having understood the true weight of his words. “I am not a queen, sir; no need to speak so formally.”, she replied, though a light blush shone on her cheeks at the idea of being viewed in such a regal manner.

“Ah, my apologies!”, he said quickly, bowing his head to her as a sign of respect. She sighed, and reached up, gently placing a hand upon his chin and tilting it up so that he glanced at her. His eyes opened suddenly at the contact, only for him to see her eyes closing as she smiled bashfully up at him, a soft giggle escaping her.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Kaito.”, she said sweetly, eyes opening once again, and he marveled at how they glittered in the sunlight, the color of the ocean tide crashing upon a sandy beach. And at this sight, the doll felt a great warmth somewhere behind the faux rose that was stitched to his chest; and for a few moments, he could have sworn that he could feel her heart, beating softly within him.

She was giving him a chance; he had frightened, yes, but now he was making amends! She had given him life, and in return, he swore to himself he would repay her in any way he could. And as these new thoughts and feelings of devotion rushed through his head, the sunlight shined through the frosted window, and landed upon the teal-haired queen and her loyal companion.


End file.
